Digital Thoughts and Opinions

Videos

This is what 2 of Googles top execs have said – in separate interviews. clearly a company wide mantra that is forming. Now let me be clear here – Google aren’t exactly saying mobile as we know it is dead and that no one is using mobile anymore. What they are saying (quite correctly) is that the idea of chasing customers from a mobile and mobile first perspective is over. This means that instead of creating customer experiences from a mobile perspective, it should be from a “reach” or “device agnostic” perspective. Let me explain. The basic premise behind this theory is that people now operate on multiple devices throughout their day – with more to be added.

For example, a person will work on a laptop, run to a meeting and use their tablet, check a message on their phone and then look at some info on their (soon to be coming) smartwatch and then watch a show on their smart TV!! The opportunities to touch people across a multitude of screens now becomes huge! So Google are saying think bigger, think multiscreen and reach, not just mobile.

This is an interesting philosophy that is sure to drive Google’s advertising strategy going forward. Dont be surprised if a new category on the Google GDN becomes “Target Smartwatches in xx area) or that one will be able to inject search onto a Smart TV.

Of course the key to all of this is a singular OS ecosystem and Google have that – Android. That will be the link that connects all of these devices. Couple that with their arsenal of data on their users and you have a magical holy grail of advertising!

iBeacons are going to be big! That’s a big statement that I have no idea if it will be true or not. But here’s why I think that:

1) The timing is right. Think back to the failed bluetooth advertising that was prevalent in SA Malls – there was a large barrier to adoption and minimal value (turn on your bluetooth, find the setting somewhere in your feature phone menu, turn it on and immediately experience battery drain and then boom – you get a Gif or a Jpg with some branding and a message on it! The timing is right now because of smart phone adoption. People are more into their phones that never before and phones are capable of doing more than ever before. This means people are becoming more and more adept to receiving offers etc on their phones – in fact they are coming to expect it.

2) Location is a reality. Yes privacy is an issue and spying is creepy, but location awareness on a micro level is big.People are lazy we want things to come to us easily, and that what iBeacons do. Offers, specials, promotions come straight to you and that is made even more compelling by the next point

3) Context is king. A discount for 10% off your next purchase at Edgars is useless when you’re at home or work, but incredibly powerful to drive purchase behaviour if you’re already in the store and deciding whether or not to buy something. It’s the difference between a sale and someone leaving empty-handed.

4) Not just retail. I’ve focused on retail primarily in this post as that is where iBeacons can do the most damage, but the options are endless for companies to provide “on the go” value to mobile customers.

The digital payment space is hotting up quickly. Retailers and banks are quickly realising that people want to buy things on any device at any time.

In response, MasterCard has launched something quite unique. They are calling it MasterPass and to quote, it “MasterPass isn’t an app, but rather a service that retailers will be able to bake into their own apps to add functionality. Much like Amazon’s 1-click ordering button that can be embedded on retail websites, MasterPass can be rolled into retailer apps to turn smartphones and tablets into portable check-out stations. And instead of standing in line to buy something on your way out, you’ll just have to confirm you already did”

This is a smart way to go about digital payments. It almost gives the retailer the power to design a process that works for their customers, not something that is dictated to them.

I love this video on integrated advertising. It speaks volumes for how advertising needs to change and adapt. Digital advertising is critical to the mix, but it needs to integrate into other forms of advertising in the campaign mix in order to be truly effective.

Digital wont take over advertising, but it will show its real effectiveness when it can lead a campaign.

This also talks to the Interactive brand eco-system and how brands needs to understand the place that each medium keeps in the system in order to ensure its real value.